The present invention relates generally to corn header assemblies for use with agricultural harvesters. In particular, the present invention relates to an improved corn header assembly that includes a multi-segmented deck plate auto adjustment mechanism.
Agricultural harvesters that harvest corn are provided with headers having dividers, also generally known as snouts, for directing rows of corn stalks to row units that include ear separation chambers which are defined by deck plates or stripping plates that position the ears of corn for separation from the stalks. The ears of corn are then passed to an auger for conveying the corn to a feeder house of the agricultural harvester. Harvested corn is then processed to the harvester's inner chambers for further processing.
Conventional corn header assemblies use e.g., a rock shaft to control the separation or spacing of the deck plates (also referred to as the “gap”) within a row unit. Such deck plate separation designs have a rocker arm mounted vertically to the row unit and a control linkage below the row unit to move the deck plates. As a result, adjustment of the deck plate opening from row to row can be difficult, jerky and imprecise. Mechanical tolerances which are built into such a deck plate separation design in order to improve ease of deck plate movement also leads to backlash which affects the operator's ability to properly set the deck plates. Improperly set or poorly adjusted deck plates cause grain loss, ear damage and economic losses. For example, current corn header assemblies utilize a pair of long ridged deck plates and the gap between the deck plates is fixed. As a result, smaller ears of corn may be pulled completely through the fixed gap spacing and go unharvested.
Such deck plate control designs are also bulky, heavy and take up valuable space underneath the corn header row unit. Further, such designs can generate excess debris which can lead to trash accumulation in the corn header assembly effecting overall header efficiency and operation. Debris can also accumulate within the deck plates themselves, including interstitial spaces. In addition, conventional rocker shaft control systems typically control only one of the two deck plates of a single row unit which can lead to the deck plate opening (or gap) not being aligned with the center of the row unit stalk rolls.
During typical harvesting operations, row spacing can vary from approximately fifteen inches to forty inches depending on the number of plants on a given acre. As the row spacing changes, the distance between plants changes. Additionally, the stalk diameter varies from stalk to stalk. Conventional header designs use a moveable non-automatic deck plate design wherein the deck plates are macro controlled by the operator through a hydraulic cylinder and linkage. Another design allows the deck plate to automatically adjust, but results in the deck plates having a gap spacing corresponding to the largest diameter stalk. As such, during harvesting operations, the gap spacing between the deck plates can remain open even when active stalks are not passing through them. Anytime there is no plant, there is a potential for grain loss. As a result, conventional header designs result in significantly more grain loss because grain falls out of deck plates not actively engaged with a row. For example, current fifteen inch headers cannot harvest thirty inch rows because grain can fall out of deck plates not actively engaged with a row.
Therefore, there is still a need for an improved corn header assembly that reduces grain loss and allows harvesting in any direction without losing grain. The present invention addresses the foregoing issues of conventional corn header assemblies.